University Certificate Courses in Astronomy & Cosmology

Each University Certificate comprises a single module (20 credits at HE level 4 - Year 1 undergraduate level), and is designed to require approximately 200 hours of study between September and May. Each University Certificate concentrates on a particular subject.

These Certificates are entry points, requiring no prior subject knowledge and so require only Maths GCSE Grade C and English GCSE Grade C or equivalent.

All the Certificate modules are also available as part of the larger awards under Advanced Study.

Most students start here! The astronomy course provides an introduction to astronomy, assuming no prior knowledge of the subject. It contains some observational and practical exercises, but you do not need access to a telescope to complete your astronomy studies.

Gain an informed view of concepts in cosmology with this cosmology course, without recourse to complex mathematics in your study. Learn about the beginning of the Universe including the creation of extremely small elementary particles and the processes that led to the formation of the very large structures seen today.

In this course you will be introduced to the Sun and the Earth as complex systems, and how they interact to produce the environment we live in. Alongside detailed course notes your studies will include a mixture of theoretical and observational approaches with data-based and observational exercises.

Astrobiology is one of the newest and most dynamic scientific disciplines, and this is your chance to gain an understanding of the ongoing discoveries with our Astrobiology Course as part of our established suite of undergraduate courses. With explorations ranging from molecular biology to the search for extra-solar planets all having an impact, the multi-disciplinary course takes a novel approach to the subject of Astrobiology, and the course is supplemented with online discussion of relevant breaking news to enhance your studies.